Truly heroic response

We still await the investigative findings about a harrowing automobile ride for two young girls in Stockton that could have easily resulted in their deaths.

We still await the investigative findings about a harrowing automobile ride for two young girls in Stockton that could have easily resulted in their deaths.

This much, however, is certain: Efrain Chavez, Crystal Rojas and David Chiribel are certified heroes.

Two young girls, ages 8 and 10, were passengers in a Jeep Grand Cherokee that police said was racing with another car on New Year's Eve just south of the Crosstown Freeway.

Police have arrested Andrew Lopez, 23, who crashed into a utility pole about 5:30 p.m. at Sonora and Lincoln Streets. They still are seeking information on a driver of a potential second car involved in the racing.

If not for Chavez and Chiribel, this seemingly preventable incident could have turned deadly.

Chavez, 46, and his wife, Crystal Rojas, were walking nearby after going shopping on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. After a train went by, they heard a loud sound as the car Lopez was driving hit a utility pole.

"I was scared for the girls' lives ... that the car was going to blow up," Chavez said.

Chiribel, 31, was driving through the area and stopped to help.

"I saw him flying straight into the pole. I thought he was trying to blow up his car. It was horrifying," Chiribel said.

The girls were taken away from the car to safety. They then pulled the unconscious driver out of the car, which moments later was in flames. Other unidentified witnesses helped.

Lopez, who witnesses said tried to run away when police arrived on the scene, was arrested the next day.